TongTong
Sign in

取证 (qǔ zhèng) — to collect evidence, to gather evidence

Definition

取证 (qǔ zhèng) is a separable verb meaning 'to collect evidence', almost always in legal or investigative contexts. Split it as 取…证 when inserting other elements (取了几次证).

verb
to collect evidenceto gather evidence

Examples

  • 取证。
    Tā men zhèng zài qǔ zhèng zhǔn bèi shàng fǎ tíng.
    They are gathering evidence to prepare for court.
  • 。
    Tā qǔ le jǐ cì zhèng dōu méi chéng gōng.
    He tried to gather evidence several times but didn't succeed.
  • 取证。
    Wǒ men xū yào qù xiàn chǎng qǔ zhèng.
    We need to go to the scene to collect evidence.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

取qǔtake
证zhèngevidence

取 (take) and 证 (evidence) combine to mean collecting evidence.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

取 pairs 又 (hand) with 耳 (ear), showing a hand taking an ear, as in taking the ear of fallen prey.

Open 取 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 證; 证 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
登
登dēng證zhèng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 證 pairs 言, a words/speech part, with 登 as a sound clue; the simplified 证 is a later shorthand.

Open 证 →
Appears in
Law & Justice

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.